This book is an academic work which reviews and critiques the research
literature concerning violent games and their alleged effects on
players. It examines the debates about the potential effects of these
games and the divisions between scholars working in the field. It places
the research on violent video games in the longer historical context of
scholarly work on media violence. It examines research from around the
world on the nature of video games and their effects. It provides a
critique of relevant theories of media violence effects and in
particular theories developed within the older media violence literature
and then considers how useful this and newer scholarly work might be for
policy-makers and regulators. The book identifies where gaps exist in
the extent literature and where future research attention might be
directed.